Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is a hilarious return for romantic comedy icon Bridget Jones that once again lets Renée Zellweger shine as the titular character in a mature, emotional and wonderful new chapter in the romantic escapades of Bridget Jones, delivering not only the perfect romantic comedy for Valentine’s Day, but what could be the perfect sendoff to the character.

 

No matter what stage of her life she is in, the world can always use more of Bridget Jones. As the titular character, Renée Zellweger has cemented herself as one of the most iconic characters of the romantic comedy genre as everyone’s favourite British woman writing her brilliant inner dialogue into her diary, one disastrous romantic entanglement at a time. Whether it be cooking blue soup, teaching a Thai women’s prison the proper words to Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”, or exploring dating in a modern world while saving the dolphins, Bridget has taken viewers on countless unforgettable adventures, and she’s back for more in her fourth outing in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. And while the character of Bridget has grown, now being a single mother of two children, she has not lost that spark that made her a beloved character over two decades ago. Her latest outing without question is the most mature of the Bridget Jones films with a beautiful story about motherhood and grief woven into Bridget’s attempt to reclaim her life and new romantic prospects, once again delivering her signature humour and charm in a film that is certain to thrill and move admirers of the Bridget Jones films.

 

When we last saw Bridget in Bridget Jones’s Baby, she had just married Mark Darcy, the man of her dreams, and it was revealed that he was her baby daddy, while the newspaper teased that Daniel Cleaver had been found alive after being presumed dead. Fast forward years later, and Mark has tragically passed and Bridget finds herself raising their two children. It’s a new stage of life for Bridget as she gets herself back into the working world as she juggles trying to be the perfect mother while navigating a new world of dating, allowing this adaptation of Helen Fielding’s novel to be ripe for comedic moments as well as bringing back many fan favourite characters. And much like the previous films, the film’s soundtrack elevates many of the plot beats to truly sweep audiences away on this romantic and emotional story, most notably Dina Washington’s “Mad About the Boy” which brings to life one of the biggest moments between Bridget and Leo Woodall’s Roxster.

 

Even though their characters have both passed, Colin Firth’s Mark Darcy and Jim Broadbent as Bridget’s father are both nicely woven into the story, helping to heighten more emotional moments in Bridget’s arc without feeling like fan service just to include the characters, while Bridget’s friends once again are perfectly used to amplify the comedic moments. Emma Thompson’s Dr. Rawlings, despite being an obstetrician and no one being pregnant in the story, has some killer comedic moments throughout the film and finds herself in the story in the most Bridget way imaginable. The only character who sadly does not get the attention he deserves is Grant’s Daniel Cleaver. While every moment of the film Daniel is in is without question a highlight of the film, he disappears for so long that it feels like at times he was brought back just to fill the gap for fans left by Mark’s death, rather than giving Daniel a worthy character arc to help conclude his journey over the series. 

While there is a significant portion of the film focused on Bridget’s ability to snag a twenty-nine year old man while she herself is in her 50s (because Bridget is an absolute catch), Fielding and her co-writers have something far more impactful to say with this film. As Bridget tries to navigate this new world she finds herself in, the film unpacks the grief of losing a loved one with a rawness and vulnerability that allows Bridget to breathe on screen and not be backed into a romantic comedy stereotypical plot. At the same time, the notion of the perfect mother is broken down and the importance of being there for your children and supporting them in their endeavours, while trying to impart on them important lessons to prepare them for the world is championed, helping to portray Bridget as an incredible parent even if she can’t quite see it herself. The result is a beautiful story for Bridget that hits every emotional note possible, so that in between each hilarious romantic escapade that Bridget is beloved for, viewers’ heartstrings will constantly be tugged on in so many moving moments. Many of which will have viewers in tears, all culminating to an incredibly beautiful ending that should this be where the Bridget Jones series ends, though I hope we never stop getting Bridget Jones films, it would be the perfect note to close the series out on.